MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross says the system is working on safety protocols to enable students to return to campuses if the coronavirus pandemic stretches into fall.
Cross laid out a five-point plan to the Board of Regents on Thursday.
He says officials want to be able to test faculty, staff, and students, trace student contacts, create a way to isolate the sick and asymptomatic, identify public spaces where a number of people can meet, and provide protective gear to faculty and staff. He said he expects students will return but that the fall semester will look very different.
Earlier this week, Cross said he was ordering campuses to identify programs worthy of preservation and brace for layoffs as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic deepens.
Schools in the UW System like UW-Oshkosh and UW-Green Bay have already announced furloughs to help combat the financial challenges imposed by the coronavirus. Holy Family College, a private school in Manitowoc, announced it would cease operations in August following increased costs, decreased spending, and the current pandemic.
